Lost Consciousness
by Tia Ordona 23
Summary: A horrible accident has occured. Suprisingly, Ed has managed to escape unscathed...however, he has lost most of his memory. Can he regain it with the help of others? Parental! RoyEd
1. Chapter 1

On to my next fic! Of course, it'll be Parental! RoyEd. Nothing else. Note this is not yaoi, because if it was, then I'd vomit out a car window. That wouldn't be good, would it? Nah! Okay, well I hope you enjoy this one, and here we go!

**Disclaimer: I write fanfiction, so I do not own FMA. Ha.**

---

The house was dimly lit, dusty, and definitely not clean. Yet Edward Elric was there anyway, rather much against his judgment.

It was an eerie setting, almost like a haunted house…so spooky, Ed's brother Alphonse Elric, a seven foot tall empty suit of armor, stayed fairly close to Ed, stepping lightly on the creaky floorboards.

They must have been on the tenth or so floor, because they were so high, the house seemed to rock back and forth in the wind. "Brother…this is really…" started Al.

"It's Colonel Mustang's orders," said Ed in an irritated voice. Unlike his frightened younger brother, Ed sounded bored and hungry, like he did this every day. "There's supposed to be information on the Philosopher's Stone in here, so we should look here. Besides, we have to get a new lead on this thing, right?" he asked, looking back at the suit of armor.

"Erm…" said Al. He wasn't sure if he wanted the Philosopher's Stone if it meant swaying back and forth in a tower that was on the verge of collapsing.

Ed's foot somehow managed to find its way into a small nook on the step, for he fell and landed hard on his chest, causing the whole building to rattle dangerously. Al quickly grabbed the railing on the steps, only to have it crumble away when he gripped it. The building gave a lurch, and soon, Ed was sure he was on his side…but he was right-side up when he opened his eyes.

These little chain reactions were common. Just one little thing that happened could send the precious source of information into pieces and falling down. Ed managed to push himself off the step, brushing his red cloak off. His golden eyes, alert as ever, scanned the horizon of the top of the steps.

"We're almost there, Al!" he said excitedly. Al sighed and followed his brother up the ascent of the stairs, climbing higher and higher as carefully as he could.

"Brother, why are we even in here? What if the information crumbled away along with the rest of this building?" asked Al.

"Oh, relax, Al," said Ed impatiently, hoisting his automail leg up to the top step. "This building is still intact, which means that the answers should be, too." Al stepped as softly as he could off the top step. He even made sure to stand in the middle of his foot, so his weight could be distributed evenly.

"Wow…" breathed Ed, looking around. The library assembled at the top of the rickety old building was small, but it contained volumes that Ed had never seen before. He walked carefully (only with much restraint) to the bookshelf.

The books were crinkled and worn with age, but the information in them looked enormously valuable. Ed trailed a gloved finger down one of the leather-bound spines. Small gold print read, "_The Devil's Quest of the Philosopher's Stone._"

"This is amazing!" exclaimed Al enthusiastically from another bookshelf. "These books you can't find anywhere else! Look, brother, almost all of them are about the Philosopher's Stone!"

It was true. It was almost no wonder why this person hid these books up so high in the building. Only those who knew the great power of what they were searching for would foolishly risk their necks climbing the ancient house's steps to get there.

Ed quickly got the Philosopher's Stone book and knelt on the ground, propping it open, and began to read. Al had already done the same. The book's prologue seemed to cover everything that Ed and Al had found out over the years…human sacrifices, red water, the Ishbalan method of the Grand Arcadium…

Ed felt his position shift. Confused, he looked up from the book, and realized what was going on almost immediately.

The wind was blowing against the walls so hard, the whole house acted as if it were to fall apart. The room had shifted slightly in its strong bluster. "Oh God…" breathed Ed, realizing that he and Al were in a house that was collapsing.

"Brother…what's going on? Why is the room different? We aren't…we aren't _collapsing_, are we?" asked Al nervously from the other side of the room. Another strong gust of wind sent the house shifting even more to the side, this time tilting slightly.

"Al…quick…grab as many books as you can and get the hell out of here!" Ed yelled, filling his arms with the priceless alchemy books. Al did the same, dumping as many as he could into his armor. Ed rapidly picked up on this and placed all of his books inside Al, hoping to save as many as he could.

Another tuft of extremely strong wind sent the room shifting even further. There was a splitting sound of wood being separated that gave Ed a thrill of fear. The wood sounded like a gunshot.

"Al, quick! Down this way, come on!" Ed yelled, heaving open the heavy oak doors another stairway. He hoped this one was shorter than the other, which took fifteen minutes to climb up. Al began to move down the steps, tripping over his feet but managing to stay on them. Ed followed, stumbling awkwardly down the steps.

The whole staircase was beginning to crumble. Wood shavings and chips were raining from the ceiling, and there was a sinister creaking noise from upstairs. Ed could only continue to run as fast as he could.

Al suddenly froze when a giant piece of rubble fell in his path. Ed gasped and quickly looked up, only to be met with a horrible sight.

A giant support beam was falling toward him, and before he could do anything there was a sickening crack, and everything went black.

---

"Sir! There have been reports of the house in which the Elric brothers were investigating finally gave way and is collapsing!" said Riza Hawkeye, bursting in the room and saluting her superior.

Colonel Roy Mustang glanced up from his endless mountain of paper work, an expression of worry quickly flooding his features. "It's collapsing? Are they still inside?"

"It's a safe bet," said Riza. "There have been no sightings of them after they had entered, so they may be still inside."

"Quick, get a rescue team. We may not reach it in time, just gather one as fast as you can and be ready to help them. Our first priority right now is keeping those boys alive," he said, getting up from his seat and grabbing his white spark gloves. "I'll be down there already though, so meet me there."

"Yes, sir," Riza said calmly, her business-like attitude at things keeping her at somewhat ease. Although, she was as worried as much as Roy was for the boys' fate.

---

When Roy arrived at the house, he none too soon realized he was almost too late.

The house was swaying back and forth, and one section of it had already caved in. Without hesitation, Roy pulled on the spark gloves, and snapped his fingers together, aiming as low as he could. He could only assume the Elrics were at the library on the top floor, so he aimed low just to stay safe, but away from the base of the building.

At once, the lower section burst into flames. They slowly crept wider and wider, until a large pile of rubble fell in to feed the fire, followed by another, followed by another.

Riza had gathered the rescue team, and they were running on to the field as fast as they could, anxious to start their search for the boys. Civilians were gathered all around the house as well, curious as to why the old thing decided to break while the two poor boys were in it.

Roy could only hope that the Elrics were in there, safely.

---

This was extremely rushed, so bear with it until the next chapter. I'm so evil, torturing Ed like this! Oh well. You'll find out what happens to him soon enough. (That's not supposed to be a threat either.) Well, review, and you get a cookie/piece of pistachio cake/tea/coke/hug! The bribes are back!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow…thanks to all reviewers! I like reviews, if you didn't notice. Well, this chapter I didn't like that much either but I think it worked out okay. Next chapter should be better, and my fourth chapter is going to be totally awesome! Yeah, I have this all planned out! Ha! Okay, now I'll shut up and we'll se how all my planning actually turned out.

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Roy didn't know whether he stood at the resting place for the old house for ten minutes, ten hours, ten days, or ten years.

The rescuers seemed to be taking their time, slowly digging shovelful after shovelful of dirt and rubble and ashes. Investigators didn't find anything, which irritated Roy beyond belief. Damn, Ed was too good at covering up his tracks. No wonder he had a hard time keeping tabs on him.

His subordinates looked anxious as well. Riza was standing near the rescuers with her arms firmly crossed on her chest. Havoc and Fuery were standing behind her, sometimes exchanging helpless looks. Breda joined in, but after a while, he went to get the others food…apparently they had been out for a long time. Falman was silent as usual, even though his face was taut with apprehension.

Breda returned a few minutes later with a plate of food, but Roy had hardly touched it. He was too worried. Ed was always really good at getting him worried like this. Why did he let that kid wander off on his own?

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when there was a sudden ruckus in the remains of the structure. Men gasped as a large, black-gloved hand managed to find its way out of the debris, and then flitted back in the hole. Seconds later, there was a large explosion in a flash of blue that could only be identified as alchemy.

If Alphonse Elric could cry right then and there, he would be bawling his eyes out. He was holding a limp form in his arms. It was rather short, small, and the blonde hair atop its head was gold, and in a messy braid. Roy started forward immediately. That had to be Edward Elric.

Roy heard the other footsteps behind him, and he knew his subordinates were following close behind. He approached Al only after a struggle of trying to find his way through the rescuers and investigators. Ed was a sickly pale, and a myriad of scratches and cuts littered his face and flesh arm. He looked okay, as if he were sleeping soundly instead of knocked unconscious.

The medical team, having arrived early, had prepared a stretcher for Ed. Al didn't look worried, as he was in a suit of armor, but the ambiance around him was worried, astounded, and shocked.

Roy started forward and bent on one knee so he could see eye-to-eye with Al. Al looked up at him.

"Al…what happened in there?" he asked slowly, as if he were talking to a small child. He was afraid Al would have resisted and not have said anything, but he almost forgot that Al was usually polite. Ed was the fiery one who resisted talking and would scream his head off at someone at the mere mention of the word "short".

Al sighed and looked around at the group surrounding him. Roy and his subordinates were pretty much the only people left…the civilian's interest in the scene had seemed to die down significantly.

"Ed and I were in the library in the tenth floor. It was really high up, and it rocked a lot in the wind. Well, all of the sudden, the whole house just seemed to…collapse. Ed and I managed to save a lot of the books, but we were on our way down, and the ceiling fell on us. Well, it didn't affect me. I managed to pull Ed out ahead of me in time, but he hit his head really hard on one of the steps. I don't know what happened to him," said Al quietly in a mournful voice.

"You managed to save most of the books?" asked Roy. Al nodded, his eyes averted downward. Roy smiled and leaned back from his current position. "Well then, I don't think we'll have much trouble. I'll have Havoc file a report on the collapse here…" Havoc groaned in irritation, and was short a dirty look by Riza…"And you and Ed just worry about resting, healing up, and reading those books."

Al laughed softly, which sounded odd coming from a seven-foot tall, menacing suit of armor. "Thanks, Colonel. I'm sure Ed will be fine," he said, his voice sounding a slight bit happier than it had s minute ago. Roy nodded.

"Lieutenant Havoc, bring the car around. We should go visit Ed at the hospital as soon as possible," he said. Havoc saluted, still a little bummed about another report to file, but brought the car around as fast as he could. He wasn't the only one who was worried so much about Ed.

---

Al hated hospitals. He couldn't smell the strong scent of antiseptic, but he knew if he was human it would make him absolutely noxious. The bright lights seemed to bite him the second he stepped in. And there was always the fact that Ed was in there, which made him sick with worry.

Luckily, the wait in the hospital wasn't that long. It was only a few minutes before a nurse stepped out of a room, folding a crisp pair of sheets and collecting bandages. Al ran toward the nurse uneasily. The nurse looked a little nervous at being approached by a suit of armor, but smiled warmly nonetheless.

"Please, ma'am, could you tell me how Edward Elric is doing?" asked Al.

"Mr. Elric is currently in the recovery room. He only had a few minor cuts and scrapes to the face and arms, but he did have a major concussion. We were concerned about him going into a coma, but he is conscious now. But…" she lowered her voice. Al felt a shock of fear.

"He doesn't remember what happened, and he does not recognize anyone in the incident. Sometimes, a blow to the head can cause memory loss. Whether it is temporary or permanent, it is unclear right now. But other than that, he is healthy."

"So Edward lost his memory?" asked Roy, approaching the nurse beside Al.

She nodded. "Yes. It appears that way. He may not recognize you when you come in the room." The smile that had once graced her features had now turned into a concerned frown. "Please, don't be too upset if he doesn't recognize you. Memories lost can sometimes be regained. We have to think positive with this."

Roy nodded, filling in Al's seeming loss of words for him. "Thank you very much. May we see him?" he asked politely.

"He's in room 315. Be gentle, he did have a head injury!" she called after them. Roy had gone to round up the others and tell them the news, while Al had headed straight for room 315, his concern for his brother getting the better of him.

Al pushed open the door nervously and looked inside. Ed was sitting there, but he didn't look like Ed. Of course his physical features hadn't changed, but his eyes were filled with a rare blank, confused, and poignant look.

"Brother?" asked Al in a soft voice. He approached the bed softly, hoping not to frighten Ed.

Ed looked up at him. He didn't look frightened, just distressed and confused. Al hated that look. "Hello," he said softly.

"Brother, do you remember me? It's Al. Alphonse," Al said in the same soft voice, hoping it didn't sound as depressed as it was.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I know you. I don't remember anything," said Ed sadly, turning his head away. Al felt as if his heart would break right then and there.

"I'll be back to visit later, Ed. I'll see you," he said, and he walked out of the room.

---

Roy knew that something was definitely wrong when Al came running out of the room. "Al! What happened?" he asked, concerned.

Al turned around. "Brother really did lose his memory," said Al softly. "I'm sorry, I don't really…want to think about it now…" he said, before running off.

Roy sighed and turned into the door. He himself was feeling a little nervous about how he should handle the situation. He had never had to deal with anyone who lost their memory before, so this was new to him. He hated being a greenhorn at things.

Roy slowly pushed open the door. He knew Riza and the others were behind him, which was always a comforting thought. But still!

Ed looked different. It had to be the spark in his eyes. It had died, extinguished by a sad, confused look. Roy felt pity. Ed looked so small and helpless like this. There had to be a way to help him.

Slowly, he knelt by the bed and placed a hand on Ed's flesh one. Ed looked nervous, but Roy knew that the contact may help him process things faster. At least, that was what Maes had once said about kids…

"Ed? I don't think you remember us, but we're your friends from the military. You were in an accident; remember how the nurses told you? You lost your memory," Roy said slowly. It was the same tone he used with Alphonse.

Ed nodded. "I know." That was all he said before returning his gaze to Roy's gloved hand on Ed's. Roy had never felt so worried for the kid in his life.

---

I am evil! Ha ha ha! Well, don't worry, because you know I can't stand over depressing stories…wait, do you? I don't know. Well, whatever. Review, and you get a hug/cookie/candy/hot chocolate with or without marshmallows!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to all reviewers! Last chapter was sad, this one is boring, next on is awesome! That's pretty much what I have planned so far. Expect some major OOCness in this fic. But hey, Ed lost his memory. He's a scared little (ha) child! Be nice to the scared little child! Okay, that is all.

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Edward's attitude had completely changed after he had lost his memory.

He was usually a bustling child, so full of life and determination and energy in general, but not anymore. He sat on his hospital bed, his fists clenched in the fabric. He looked depressed and confused. The nurses explained well to him that he had lost his memory in an accident.

It would've taken forever to explain to Ed his whole past, but Roy didn't want to tell him the pain. He knew it would hurt when it came back, but he didn't want to tell Ed. Ed would have to find that out on his own. All he told Ed that Al was his brother, his parents were gone, and that he and his subordinates were friends of his.

Despite his loss of memory, Ed managed to cling on to his instincts. His personality didn't shine through as it had, but he had taken a particular liking to Al. He was quiet, and he spoke politely. He warmed up to his brother the most, almost as if he knew. Which he did, but it was his choice whether or not to believe.

Ed was usually shy around Roy, but Roy was beginning to correct that. He spoke casually to Ed, which was definitely a first for him. Even Riza, who was always straight down to business, talked to Ed like he was a child, which was something she herself seemed to pick up instinctively. Roy just did what first came to mind around Ed. He refrained from touching the boy, though. The last thing he wanted was for Ed to be uncomfortable around him. If he and Ed were to get closer, then maybe a little, but not now.

Ed was generally a quiet person to be around now. It made Roy almost miss the screaming and the yelling and the violence. Almost. But screaming and yelling and threats would have closed a gap in Ed's memory.

Occasionally, bits and pieces of Ed's personality seemed to shine through. He especially hated to be called short, which was a mistake Havoc made the first few minutes he had talked to Ed. But instead of yelling, he just blushed and looked away quite quickly. It was sad to know what little of his personality had survived the accident, but Roy was positive he saw an enraged glimmer in the lifeless golden eyes.

Then, there was always the debate about where Ed would stay once he had gotten out of the hospital. His recovery was fast as always, so Roy had to think quickly. He settled on the dorms Ed had stayed in while he was investigating Lab 5. He had assigned both himself and the others dorms close to Ed's. Ever since Ed had stayed there first, it had expanded and gotten its own mess hall, showers, and it was practically attached to the Central Library, which would allow Ed to read. Roy had hoped that he would be attracted to the alchemy books, and that would somehow link him to his past.

The military had considered the house as collateral damage. Since Roy had assigned Ed there under his orders, there was no interrogation needed. Roy practically had to beg to skip one.

He sighed one day as he pushed away the disgusting hospital food on his fork after a long day with Ed. First he moves for the kid, then he begs the Fuhrer to keep Ed in his custody, now he's eating repulsive hospital food, which he knew would never make anyone better despite the term "hospital food"…he really was going out of his way for Ed.

But it would be worth it once Ed got his memory back. Besides, he was worrying himself extremely hard for him. It would be worth it to get the burdens of worry off his shoulder.

Al was with Ed with all times, so it helped lessen the stress of moving Ed out. The boy was always in that hospital for as long as he could remember, so they were worried about his reaction. Of course, Ed, being the brave Fullmetal Alchemist, took it well. He talked politely to Al, and he was also becoming attached to Riza.

Ed still was a little worried about what was going on. He had never been in a car before, and he gripped hard on Al's arm the whole time. Havoc was laughing at him, and Riza and Roy shot him the meanest death glare they could come up with. The tension was worrying Falman, so he tried to move between Riza and Roy and Falman. Riza sat by Ed and stroked his hair. Roy was a little jealous…what, so just because she was a woman meant that she got all the free trust? He rolled his eyes and turned around, hoping his new dorm would be nice.

As it turned out, the dorms were actually very nice, almost like a hotel setting. There was a main lobby and a few rooms surrounding it. Roy had demanded that he and the others were all positioned on one floor, (which gave him a colossal headache) and he managed to get his voice.

Al helped Ed unpack in their room. It took them less than two seconds, and next thing they knew the Elrics were sitting in the main lobby, conversing once again. It was a sad thought, that children like them had so little possessions. They only owned a small burlap sack of clothes for themselves, and that was just about it. Al didn't even need any, so it was all Ed's stuff, but it was still meager.

As fate would have it, Ed buried himself in the library for a few hours. But when Roy came to get him for dinner in the mess hall, he was surprised by what he saw.

Ed was transmuting various objects, and he did it without a circle. He found a sheet of paper and transmuted it into a small paper crane that sat delicately on one of the alchemy books he was reading. Just when Roy entered, he was fixing a tear in the book. He almost looked like Ed again, just doing alchemy.

Roy knelt down by the table, looking confused. "Hey, Ed. What are you doing?" he asked.

Ed looked up, a little guiltily. "I'm sorry! It's just, for some reason I liked these books, and I accidentally tore a page, and then I just clapped and then it was fixed and…" Roy positioned a hand on his, silencing him.

"It's okay. But how did you do alchemy? Do you remember how?" he asked as calmly as he could. Really, he was excited. This proved his theory that this was the link for Ed's memory.

"I don't know. I just…clapped…and then it just came up…it was really weird," said Ed, blushing and twisting his hands and looking away. Roy only smiled and placed a hand on his head.

"No, this is good, Ed! You used to do alchemy, remember?" he asked, taking a seat on the leather couch and motioning for Ed to sit next to him. Ed did so stiffly and shook his head.

"You don't remember? You were really famous," he said, putting his arm around Ed after a moment's hesitation. Ed looked up at him, his eyes as wide as saucers, like a child waiting to hear a bedtime story. Roy chuckled…_now_ Ed decided to act like a child.

"You could do alchemy without a transmutation circle, which was really special," Roy continued. "In fact, you just did it now." He jerked his head toward the paper crane, which gracefully seemed to watch him from his seat on the book.

"Those books said you needed a transmutation circle, though…" said Ed, looking a little more confused than his new normal expression.

"No, Ed, not always. That is why you were such a talented alchemist," said Roy, standing up. "Come on, dinner's waiting in the mess hall. We better hurry up before Al throws a fit." Ed smiled, nodded, and chased after him into the warm kitchen.

---

It was late at night. Ed didn't know whether he was dreaming or not, but for some reason it was scaring him.

_Bright, rapid flashes of light seemed to flash across his eyes…they danced and gloated him. They started out as a bountiful, autumnal gold, and for some reason he was happy. He felt good, and wherever he was looked safe. A pleasant wind seemed to caress his cheek. _

_But then the flashes became an angry, ugly purple, and all of the sudden he felt cold dread trickle down his spine. He shivered, looking around. The pleasant breeze soon turned into a hard, vigorous, angry wind. Ed tried to look away, but there were jolts of electricity everywhere…he was so, so scared…and he didn't know what was going on…_

Ed gasped and sat up in bed. He was drenched in an icy sweat, and his sheets seemed to stick to him like glue. Al was kneeling by him, looking nervous. "Brother? What's going on? Did you have a nightmare?" he asked, looking as nervous as he could in a suit of armor. Ed sighed and collapsed back into the soft pillows.

"Yeah. There were flashes of light everywhere…it was awful…" Ed said in a whisper. So this version of Ed actually spoke about his problems. Al couldn't help but feel relieved. He bent by the bed stand and massaged Ed's automail carefully. Ed stiffened at the contact…Al's hands were cold…but it felt really good on the automail. He had no idea why he had it, but it hurt.

He let the cool hands soothe him into a sleep, which was restless and, thankfully, dreamless.

---

Done! Wow, I hated this chapter! But the next one should be pretty good. Aha. So, review, and you get tea/peppermint mocha/cookie/hug/candy! The bribes and the peppermint mocha, people!


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers! Yes, yes, yes, the long awaited chapter. I should say this was inspired by a pinch of the movie Amityville Horror…that is to say, the bathroom induced horror. Well, I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing!

---

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Ed had settled in quickly.

Because he had no home other than the hospital, which in general was not a nice place to live, the dorms seemed to suit Ed's purpose just fine. He spent a lot of his time reading alchemy books. To see Ed happy for the first time in a long time was good news for all of them.

Other good news was that Ed was beginning to open up with them more. He even opened up to Roy a little more, too…the two of them talked about alchemy. Ed liked to hear stories of his past life. Roy made sure to not include anything of significance to the human transmutation in the stories. The worst thing they could do to an Ed that was still was recovering was to tell him the horrors of the past. That was the last thing they needed.

But, thanks to equivalent exchange, there was also bad news. Ed seemed to have nightmares quite often, according to Al. During the night he kept saying that he had dreams of flashing light, and a feeling that something was going dreadfully wrong. That was unmistakably the memories of the human transmutation unconsciously weaving their way into his mind.

But in the daytime, he wasn't like the old Ed at all. He was somehow quiet and shy and polite, and he also was finally starting to act his age. Roy knew this was bad, but he had to admit, it was a nice break from the yelling Ed he knew all too well.

Doctors were beginning to think that Ed would regain his memory after a time. They said that one day it would just smack him in the face, and he would regain his memories gradually.

"That's not a really good hypothesis," said Hawkeye sensibly, sitting on the couch reading a book. "It's understandable that the human transmutation would be a big shock that would come all at once, but the rest? I doubt it."

Fuery shrugged from his small area on the couch. "I've heard about people regaining their memory all at once. But it was also experienced with great emotional trauma, and those were the people who didn't try transmutation," he replied and shrugged.

Roy didn't know who to believe, until about a week after they had moved in the new dorms.

It was late in the evening. The sun had sunken between the sky and horizon a while ago, so it long dark. Inside the small break room lobby, it was comfortable. It was cold and wet and rainy outside. Usually Ed and Al would sit outside, but they had to postpone their newly discovered tradition because of the formidable weather.

Al was now sitting on the couch, perfectly still, his hands folded on his lap. Roy wondered how the kid could sit like that for so long without doing anything. Maybe he had enough practice on those long, sleepless nights…

Ed was taking a bath at that time, so it was quieter than usual. Amnesia or not, Ed seemed to hate the quiet. But now it was practically silent, because Roy and Riza and Al were the only ones sitting in the break room.

That was when it began.

---

Ed didn't remember taking these hot baths. He didn't remember anything, but the feeling was so warm and comforting that he was sure he had never experienced the sensation before. He wanted to stay in the steamy paradise forever, and never worry about the return of his memories. He just wanted to stay there, where the past merged with the present…

He quickly caught himself before he fell asleep. Recently, he was usually so tired. But he hated sleeping at night, because he would be haunted by that same nightmare that was about to drive him insane. He shivered and ran a bar of soup over his flesh arm. He didn't know why he had automail…it hurt, though. He didn't even remember getting it, and according to Al, getting automail was extremely painful. It involved reattaching the nerves to that piece of steal, one by one.

The results were satisfying enough, though, because Ed could move his arm and leg however he wanted. He knew it could only take a strong mechanic to put it on, because the surgery would put a lot of pressure on any surgeon…

All of the sudden, there was a strange flashback in his mind. A younger version of him was lying on the bed, whimpering, a cloth pressed on his forehead. A young, blonde girl and old lady were huddled by the bed, looking worried and getting water to place on his cheeks.

He shook his head, and the image cleared, but it seemed to burn in his mind. Was that him when he was younger? Why did he have such a horrible fever? A thought dawned on him…that might have been when he got his automail.

Where did _that _thought come from? He knew nothing about automail! How would he know…

All of the sudden, he felt his body plunging downward into the warm, soapy bathwater.

---

Roy was deeply absorbed in his alchemy book when he heard a thump coming from the showers. He looked up; his brow wrinkled in confusion, but he shook the thought off and returned to his book. Riza was not taking the situation too lightly, though.

"Wasn't Ed getting a shower? Is he okay?" she asked. Al looked up, too, a little nervousness added to the atmosphere. Roy shrugged again and tried to return, but there was a nagging worry in the back of his mind. He stood up abruptly and placed the book down on the page he was reading, spine up.

"I'll go check on him, "he said, and exited toward the showers.

---

_They were the flashes of light that were bothering him, but for some reason it seemed to make sense._

"_AL! AL!" he screamed into the mauve, electricity-ridden glow that seemed to go on and have no end. _

_All of the sudden the glow separated, and he saw his brother, in a human body that seemed strangely familiar, being pulled away by little black hands that snaked around his body._

_  
"BROTHER!" yelled Al, reaching out for him with his hand, which was beginning to break down with the forces of alchemy. Ed reached for the hand, screaming his brother's name as loud as he could, and before he knew it, he saw his leg being taken away._

_It seemed to happen so fast…there was a giant gateway, and all of the sudden, all the information on alchemy in the world was pouring into his head. _

_He was in the basement again, and he saw that suit of armor…he had to use it…it was his only chance…_

_He grabbed it and used his own blood to paint the seal on it, then his forehead, his chest, and his arms…._

_Then before he knew it he was reaching for his brother, and the little black creatures in the gate seemed to be dragging him back…they ripped off his right arm in the process…_

"Edward!"

---

Roy knew something was definitely up when he heard the scream from the shower room. What the hell was Ed doing in there? But the screams grew more frantic as Roy reached the door.

"Ed!" he yelled, knocking and tugging hard on the motionless door. "Open up the door right now!" There was no response. Ed couldn't hear him…what was going on?

Thinking fast, Roy grabbed his spark gloves from his shirt pocket. He pulled the right one on his hand and gave his fingers a quick rub. Immediately, the hinges on the door sparked and fell to the ground. Roy quickly kicked it aside and ran in, and he was horrified by what he saw.

It was Ed, thrashing around in a tub of water and blood.

Roy felt panic rise in his chest, but he forced it down quickly. He ripped open the shower door, using the same motion to pick up a large towel from the shelf above where the door once was. He grabbed Ed and pulled him out of the tub, then threw the blanket around his small frame, and pulled the boy close to him. He noticed there was a cut on Ed's human arm. It didn't look severe, but he must have ripped it off the shower door handle, so it bled a lot. He felt relieved that Ed hadn't injured himself too badly again.

Ed was struggling to try and get out of Roy's grasp, but Roy only placed a hand on his head to tuck it in his shoulders, and started rocking Ed like a father would do to his own child.

"Ed! Calm down! I'm here now, it's only me," he said, keeping his voice in a loud whisper. Ed seemed to find sense in the words, because his struggles became more and more hopeless.

"Hush…it's just me…" Roy said kindly, allowing Ed to lean heavily against him, his body shaking with what looked like tears. Roy only rubbed his back and leaned against the wall, hoping to calm Ed enough to try to get words out of him.

"Blood…there's blood everywhere…" Ed sobbed, clenching Roy's shirt in his fists.

"It's okay, Ed. You only scraped your arm off the shower door. It's okay," he shushed, stroking his wet, blonde hair.

"Al…please…don't…no…" he tried to say, the tears coming harder.

Riza and Al appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, when Ed's cries began to quiet. Roy still held him close nonetheless, trying to help him find the security he needed.

"What happened?" asked Riza quietly, seeing Ed, only wrapped in a towel, pressed firmly against Roy.

"I don't know. He fell in the bath tub, but I think there was something more," said Roy.

However, he couldn't stop his mind from forming the wild hypothesis that Ed had regained his memories on the night he tried to bring back his mother.

---

Done! I liked this chapter! Yep yep yep! Parental! RoyEd is the best kind of fluff there is in the whole entire world! Ha. You better be happy I stole this off of Amityville Horror…I still think that creepy little girl is going to appear in every mirror I look at…and now I won't look in mirrors unless I have to. Seriously. Well, review, please, and you get a chocolate donut hole/apple cider/candy/hug!


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to all reviewers for my bathroom-induced horror! This chapter I liked also…it's a little short and stuff, so yeah, try and put up with it. Speaking of chapters, I'm dedicating this chapter to Dark Chocolate Alchemist, because she reviewed like every chapter and there was a shooting at her school, so…yeah! Little present for your trouble! Ha! Well, on to the next chapter!

---

"Brother!" Al cried, racing forward to Ed, who was still clinging to Roy's shirt and sobbing lightly. Riza put a hand on one of the spiked, metallic shoulders, and drew him slowly out of the room.

"Why?" asked Al, heartbrokenly, looking at her with a mournful expression that could be seen from his narrow red eyes. Riza felt sympathy pour into her when she saw that. Al only wanted what was best for his brother.

"He's in shock. I think the impact of shock his so hard that we can only get Roy to take care of him now, or else he may get a little crazy from all the people wanting to see him. Don't worry, it shouldn't last long." She smiled gently. "He's Ed. He's strong, even with amnesia, so even if his memory is gone, he still has his personality."

Al seemed to brighten up a little and nodded. "Thanks," he said politely, and the two of them headed off to the lobby again, where it was peaceful. They could use the peace after all that had happened.

Riza knew that a lot of people would over stimulate Ed now, but the real reason that she had taken Al away was that really, only a father figure could help Ed now. Al had been there, and the memories clearly still haunted him. Roy seemed to be the father that Ed had needed this whole time, whether he himself had realized it or not.

---

Ed's crying had finally ceased, but he still stayed close to Roy and his shaking continued, however lightly. Roy noticed, because he drew the towel up around Ed more securely and patted the messy blonde hair one more time before slowly drawing away.

"Ed," he said kindly. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking at the cut on Ed's arm. He nodded, and wiped one last tear away. Roy placed a hand on Ed's shoulder in reassurance.

"Listen, I don't know what happened, but you're really shaken up now, so I have my suspicions. Get your clothes back on…we can talk there about it," he said as calmly as he could. He tried not to do the usual barking out orders that he did around his subordinate, but it was hard.

He was slightly surprised at how upset Ed was. Ed had never cried, let alone bawl his eyes out in Roy's shoulder, but somehow Roy didn't mind. That human transmutation he had committed must have been absolutely terrifying, to strike that kind of a response from someone who was usually so strong.

Ed nodded, and Roy watched his small back carry on into the semi-darkened halls. He knew that Ed's fate was a horrible one. Nobody, especially not children, should have to deal with enough responsibility as he did. Somehow, this whole amnesia incident was like a break for Ed. Instead of worrying about the responsibilities of regaining his and Al's bodies, he could just relax, without being fidgety like he always was.

Ignorance really was bliss when it came to Edward Elric.

---

Ed had never felt so burdened, so troubled, in his life. Or of course, maybe he had, but he couldn't remember. Somehow, the bad memories…like whatever he had regained that had terrified him out of his wits…seemed to stick harder to him.

How many other memories were like that? Had he lived this life for so long? Al looked so young in the pictures…only nine or ten…Al had told him once that he had told him that he was the oldest sibling by a year, so he had to be ten or eleven.

And exactly how did he get into that mess at such a young age? Children should be playing outside, not doing forbidden alchemy!

But while the flashback had sequenced itself in his head, he felt a terrible, gaping hole in his heart, as if something was gone and never to come back. He also felt a terrible, aching desire that seemed to blindly fill that hole, but he could still tell it was there. What could he have possibly lost that was so important?

Then, another flash seemed to come over him, and the answer was etched in the beautiful face smiling down at his.

Mother.

He couldn't remember anything but that sweet smile, but somehow he knew about her, and why he wanted to bring her back. She had died, from an illness she had hid from him and Al and everyone else in that small village where the human transmutation took place.

Another tear managed to find its way down his cheek, leaving a burning trail behind it. Why was he crying so much? Was he this damn weak in the past? Somehow he thought he had gotten weaker.

Ed changed into a fresh, crisp wardrobe that he laundered a few days ago, and flopped down on his bed. He felt so empty, so depressed. He wished he could have that peaceful, floating, confused feeling that he had a few days ago. Anything would beat this sinister depression.

There was a soft knock on his door, and a familiar voice called, "Ed?" from the outside. Ed pulled himself to the ground and threw open the door. Roy was standing there, looking extremely worried and carrying a roll of bandages.

"I was worried about you," he murmured, and let himself in. He took one of the bandages and sat on the bed next to Ed. "I'm here to bandage your arm. I don't' want it to get infected. Besides, you seem upset. Is something wrong?" he inquired with concern.

Ed shook his head firmly, his blonde bangs managing to cover up his face. He was sure he could feel more tears just waiting to spill out of his eyes, but for some reason he didn't want to show any more weakness in front of Roy. Even though Roy sighed and put an arm around his shoulders, squeezing him to his side.

Ed felt warm when Roy held him like this. It wasn't the uncomfortable sensation both…it was a nice warm one that he didn't remember, and for some reason he was sure his father, whoever he was, hadn't done so.

To his horror, a tear dribbled down his cheek, and Roy looked like he saw it, for he rubbed Ed's shoulder concernedly. Ed leaned into him a little closer, and Roy wrapped both his arms around him now, rocking his body gently again, like a true father.

Ed wailed and buried his face in Roy's shoulder, his sobs breaking free now. He avoided his embarrassment and pride, but he didn't care. "What, Ed?" Roy asked gently, pushing the long hair off to the side. "Is it really that bad?" he asked. Ed suddenly had another flashback.

There was Trisha Elric, holding him like Roy was as he wept into her waist. _"What can be so bad?"_

Ed looked up at Roy, his eyes overflowing. It was a pitiful sight. "I…I…think I…remember…I…Al…he…"

"No, you don't have to say Ed. I know," said Roy as soothingly as he could. Ed rested his head back on Roy's shoulder. Roy was surprised. Ed was never so…affectionate before.

"Just calm down. I understand it was traumatic…" he whispered.

"No…" said Ed. "Al…look what I did to him…he must hate me…" Ed moaned, sounding a little delirious.

"No, Ed, Al doesn't hate you. He wants to get your body back, too. He thinks you have it worse, because you have automail, which is hard on your body. Al could never hate you," he said tenderly.

Ed nodded and wiped a few more tears that had strayed loose of his eyes. Roy felt so sorry for him, that he knew that whatever he had to do, he would get Ed's memory back before it came back like it had tonight. In his opinion, that was the worst way possible.

---

Done! I hope you liked this angsty/lovey chapter! I know I did! Wow, amnesia is a very good excuse to make Ed OOC! hint, hint Be sure to check out elriclover07's new Parental! RoyEd fic, it was awesome times two! Ha. Well, review, and you get tea/coffee/coke/cookies/nasty salt sticks/hug (in apology for the nasty but addictive salt sticks!)


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter! I enjoyed writing it, so I hoped you enjoyed reading it! Hmmm…well, I can't say I really mapped out what was going to happen next, so this chapter came, like, bang! Two seconds ago. Actually, when I was practicing for the district band. Seriously, my flute gave a little squeak once I thought of it. So enjoy, this one deserved a squeak!

---

Ed had finally cried himself out, and was in Roy's arms, his face innocent and unprotected in the faint golden light.

Roy smiled slightly at the innocent-looking child he was holding, and maneuvered him in his arms as gently as he could, so he could lift Ed. Then, he placed the boy in the bed and pulled the covers up to his shoulders. Ed's brow furrowed in his dream, but the returned to normal. He seemed to sense Roy was leaving him.

Roy quietly closed the door and headed back to the main lobby. He could see Al, clenching his fists out of nerves, and Riza, silently reading a book, who had obviously been the one to drag him out.

"How's Brother? What happened?" asked Al anxiously as Roy sat down next to them on the couch, stretching out.

"He's fine, don't worry. But…he regained the memories of what had happened during the human transmutation in the worst way possible," said Roy, closing his eyes and leaning into the back of the couch.

"What?! How?" asked Al, leaning forward. Roy could feel the nervous setting in the room. Riza was also now looking at him, her wine-red eyes piercing his onyx ones.

"He was just in the shower, then we heard him fall…that was the thump earlier. Then he started yelling for some reason, like he was reliving it. I only managed to bust the door open. It was horrifying…I saw him whimpering in a tub full of blood. He cut his arm on the shower door," said Roy.

"Yes, we came in then," said Riza, now absorbed in Roy's story. "What did you do to him then?"

"He was really shaken up. After a little, he stopped crying, so I told him to go to his room. So he went, and I got worried that his arm would get infected. Then I came in for only a few minutes, and he started crying because he was so upset this time, not scared." Roy stopped there.

"What did you do?" asked Al.

Roy sighed. "Well…I hugged him for a bit to calm him down. But enough about that. He said he thought you hated him, Al, so you should talk to him tomorrow."

Al hung his head slightly, as if he, too, were reliving the past. "Okay. I could never hate him," he said, exactly quoting Roy's words.

---

"What's the problem, Ed?" asked Havoc. The two of them were sitting outside of the dorms. The rain from the previous night had cleared away, leaving nothing but a bright blue sky and biting cold air that felt refreshing.

Ed sighed and looked down at the wooden table he was sitting on. Havoc felt a little worried for him. His eyes were depressed again, which he had thought was a phase that had ended. "Hmmm?" Havoc asked again, to emphasize his point.

"Well…yesterday I kind of remembered something I'd rather not have remembered," said Ed quietly, still avoiding Havoc's eyes.

"Oh, I think I know what it is," said Havoc, looking at Ed with slight concern. "I think Roy told me about that. Are you okay now?" he asked.

Ed nodded, now looking at Havoc but not smiling the usual smirk that reassured him. "I just…I think Al really does hate me," he said. "Look at me, I'm a monster…I put his soul in that armor and there's no way out…"

Havoc froze. So Ed hadn't remembered any research on the Philosopher's Stone yet. This must have been hard for him then, because he thought there was absolutely no hope, but there wasn't.

"I wouldn't say that, Ed. I think there's a way to restore Al to his original body soon, and you to yours," he said, gesturing to the automail. Ed looked at, and a small grin finally broke over his face.

"Thanks. I'll remember that," said Ed, getting up and beginning his way out. Havoc smiled and watched the boy disappear slowly into the dorms. He could only guess what Al would tell him now.

---

"Hey, Ed?" asked Al later that night. The two of them were propped cozily on the couch. The main lobby was pretty much empty, so it was just the two of them.

"Yes?" asked Ed. He sounded…almost a little nervous. Al hated that his own brother had to be nervous in front of him.

"Ed…I don't hate you. It was my own choice to have a body like this. I followed you, it was my idea too, don't you remember? The automail is harder on your body, so you're the victim also," Al said all in one breath.

Ed smiled faintly, tiredly, at his brother. "Thank you, Al. Someday, I'm going to get your body back, "he said, sounding the most mature he had been for the past week.

All of the sudden, Ed doubled over in pain, clutching his arm. Al hurried forward and looked at the arm. It was right where the automail met flesh. It was about time for Ed to get a regular tune-up. In fact…he was overdue. There was only one thing they could do now.

They had to call Winry.

---

Done! Wow, this was really rushed, and horrendously short, but I'm really busy getting ready for my district band tryout. You know…geekiness. Well, if you review this piece of crap labeled chapter 6, you get chips/cookies/candy/hugs! Yay!!!!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to all reviewers of the horrendous piece of crap called chapter 6! Also, I'm really sorry, but I doubt I can update on Monday, and there's no question that I can't update on Tuesday. That district band is staring at me in the face, and it's extremely hard to get into. The tryouts are on Tuesday, so Wednesday I should be back on track. Well, this chapter was…okay…but I should have some better ones posted during the weekend, so enjoy the little "preview". (Ha ha.)

---

Ed felt a drop of sweat on his forehead. He knew the automail pained him occasionally, but this was too much now. Why was it hurting so much?

Riza was sitting by him calmly. Al and Roy had gone to call Winry…Al had to go over to the phones with Roy, for he was the only one that knew her phone number, and Roy had to talk to her. Roy didn't see why he, the killer of her parents, had to talk to her, but Al was too scared to do so himself, and Ed, obviously, didn't remember her.

Ed whimpered and clutched the port a little harder, and Riza felt his forehead gently. It was a little warm…she had heard that sometimes pain in the automail ports could cause fevers. She couldn't imagine what it was like to attach it. It was a painful process of reconnecting all of the nerves to the machine.

Riza wasn't entirely sure, but once AL had told her that Ed got through the entire surgery without screaming. Not only that, but he was only ten when he first got the limbs. It was almost impossible, but Ed was very strong. She didn't have a hard time believing that.

"Mmmm…hey? What's going on?" mumbled Ed, opening one eye. "Ugh, my arm…it burns…"

"Quiet, Edward. You're in bed for now. According to Al, you need your automail tuned up, and he is currently calling your mechanic," she reported. Ed rubbed his eye wearily with his flesh hand.

"Who's my mechanic, again?" he asked. He immediately felt guilty and upset when he said this. He had known the mechanic, and now he couldn't even identify them. It was just a little piece of the confusion he had been feeling for so long. Only after a few days ago, when he remembered his human transmutation, had his life began to make sense.

"Winry Rockbell. Don't worry, she's a childhood friend of yours," said Riza a little softer this time, smoothing his sheets. "Remember? She first installed it a long time ago."

"I don't…remember…" Ed said, searching through the short list of memories in his head.

"It's okay," said Riza quickly, not wanting him to get upset over his lack of knowledge on the subject. "It's all right. She'll understand, don't worry." She pushed Ed's shoulder so he lay on the bed. "Go back to sleep," she said strictly.

Ed closed his eyes, and Riza couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Winry was a childhood friend…how would _she _react when she heard the news?

---

"Rockbell Automail, prosthetic limb outfitters," said a feminine voice on the other side of the telephone line. Al was cowering by it, giving Roy the most hangdog expression he could offer.

"Hello, Winry Rockbell?" asked Roy timidly. He was in no position to call her. He had killed her parents in a rebellion. He would never forget the expression of horror they wore, or the bloodied hand resting on the photograph after it was done. A while ago, when he had Winry had confronted one another; she accepted his apology rather hesitantly. "This is Roy Mustang."

"Oh, Colonel Mustang. Why did you call?" she asked. Her voice had a bit of coldness underneath the warmth she forced up, but he knew she meant well.

"I was calling for Edward Elric," said Roy. "Just a week and a half ago, he was in a serious collision accident and suffers from a concussion." Winry gasped on the other end of the line.

"That idiot! What did he do this time?" she asked indignantly.

"Well, erm, he was in a house and kind of got stuck under a pile of rubble. He couldn't use alchemy, because that would just cause a chain reaction witht the rest of the house and it might hurt someone else, so he just let it fall on himself," said Roy, a little nervously.

Winry heaved a loud, irritable sigh. "I see. Continue."

"Well…I'm really sorry, but…when he woke up, he had very bad amnesia. Very bad. He couldn't remember anything from his childhood." There was a deadly silence from Winry's side of the line. "But just recently, he regained his memories of the human transmutation. I'm not completely sure if he remembers you…Lieutenant Hawkeye said that he didn't, but you can't be too sure, because his memory is just coming back in chunks, kind of."

"That...idiot..." she muttered again, but this time her voice possessed a shaky quality to it.

"I'm sorry," Roy sighed. "But he's recovering very rapidly, so don't worry. He's getting a lot of his memory back very quickly….almost too quickly, we're afraid it's too much for his system. But, back to my point…he's going to need an automail tune-up, and we were wondering if you could come to Central…after all, we shouldn't move him when he's getting his memory back."

"…Sure. I'll come right away," said Winry. Her voice was soft, as if she were trying not to cry. Roy felt slightly worried about the state he was leaving her in, but he said goodbye and hung up.

"Is she going to kill us?" asked Al timidly from his corner. Roy sighed.

"Unless she's plotting a mass murder homicide, she is not going to kill us," he said dully. Al nodded and got up from his spot. Then he froze all of the sudden, looking away.

"Brother hates it when she cries in front of him. He hates it. I hope…she doesn't cry when she sees him like that," said Al. "Then maybe he'll get more bad memories, and we want him to remember good things, right?"

Roy's face softened as he thought about that. "Maybe, but even so. I think Winry can collect herself enough to help Ed without much of a problem."

---

"EDWARD ELRIC!!" came the shrill shriek from Ed's room, sounding hysteric. Roy turned his head, and he could hear thumping around and a cry of pain. He sighed. Would he have to baby-sit them?

He sauntered in the room, trying as hard as he could to take time. Unfortunately, he came in just in time to see Winry screaming at Ed and managing to restrain herself from beating him up with a wrench. He decided he'd rather not take a first person perspective in the situation. He waited outside the door.

"What were you thinking, Ed?! You just storm into a ruined building, out of nowhere, and you _let _the rubble fall on you!" she shrieked, sounding a little hysterical.

"Wait…I'm sorry, but _who are you_? I have amnesia, I can't…I don't…!" Ed's voice sounded confused and eventually upset. Very upset, almost on the verge of tears. It was so twisted to hear Ed almost cry like that, but it was just residue from the past years. His amnesia was also taking a lot out of him, and Roy could hardly blame him for that. He couldn't imagine not remembering anything in his whole entire life. He hoped Winry would understand.

Then, for some reason, the yelling ceased, into a thoughtful, gentle silence. Finally, Roy cautiously peeked into the doorway through the door. He was shocked by what he saw.

Al had always said that Winry was a fierce woman who wasn't afraid to wield a wrench on one's cranium without a care of whether or not she caused permanent brain damage. But now she had an arm wrapped securely on Ed's shoulders, a concerned look on her face.

"Ed," she spoke clearly, pulling him against her. "Do you remember me? I'm Winry Rockbell, your mechanic. We were best friends a long time ago and still are today."

Ed looked miserable as he turned his face away from her. "I'm sorry. I don't know you," he whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"It's okay," said Winry kindly. "Ed, someday you will remember everything. I'll help you, and so will everyone else. Don't worry; we'll get you out of this Ed." She embraced him tightly, and his shoulders began to quiver.

Roy stared, dumbfounded, at the pair. Women were so confusing, even the Flame Alchemist could hardly figure them out sometimes.

---

Done! I think this is veeery mild EdWin, so I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at it! Yaaaay! I kind of liked this chapter better after I typed it. Well, review, and you get candy/tea/white death tea (tea with lots of sugar and cream/hug! Sorry, no salt sticks. (I know, you're crying. Ha! Just kidding.)


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to all reviewers of chapter 7, and may I say I am quite relieved at the turnout of my EdWin! I was so worried that it would sound stupid, OOC, and all that jazz, but no, I guess it was okay! Well, I'm pretty sure that you know what's going to happen in this chapter. I liked it. I'm not sure where I'm going to go next chapter, but I think I'll figure it out by tomorrow! Enjoy!

---

Roy was feeling worried about what Ed's end result of the automail reattachment would be.

He knew that the reattachment was reconnecting all the nerves in his arm and leg to the new automail, and he also knew it was an incredibly painful procedure. Apparently, even adults screamed when their nerves were being reconnected in the surgery. Ed hadn't even screamed once, and he was still young when he got the surgery. That kind of willpower was amazing.

Ed was sitting in a chair, looking rather nervous but also determined to hide it. He was still sweating slightly, as a result of having the fever that had plagued him. WInry had asked Ed if he wanted to wait until the fever went down before they reconnected the automail, but he had refused.

Winry came in, her arms filled with a metal arm and leg. She would have done a regular tune-up, but because Ed was already so overdue for one, she decided that reattaching the automail would be easier on him, even though Roy thought both sounded excruciatingly painful.

Ed had a steady, determined look that managed to cover up the last of his nerves. Roy had seen that look in use so many times before, but never before had he felt a jolt of admiration for it. Ed was such a brave kid; even the fact of pain didn't bother him.

"Okay," said Winry, looking around. "We're going to need some more people to make sure we can get you moved after we attach the automail, so I'll only be a second. Stay here for a minute." She loped out the door, her blonde ponytail flying out behind her. She seemed eager to get her job over with. Seeing Ed in pain always bothered her.

Winry met Roy at the door. "I'll go," Roy said, before she could even ask. "I think Al is in the library, if you're looking for him."

"Thanks," said Winry, before heading off in the direction that Roy had pointed out for her. Roy peeked into the room before letting himself in, sitting in a couch by Ed's chair in the small dorm. 

"Hey, Ed. How you feeling?" he asked casually, even though it was a pretty stupid question. Of course Ed wasn't feeling up to par, he was sick and he was about to have all his nerves connecting to a piece of metal. That was not a really great feeling.

"I'm okay," said Ed. Even though his face didn't show it, his voice sounded nervous. Roy couldn't help but feel a little happier at this. At least Ed couldn't hide everything from him. The kid was a good actor by instincts, so maybe he kept the fear in on purpose, so Roy knew that he was afraid.

"Nervous about the automail attachment?" questioned Roy. Ed shook his head so roughly, his bangs flew in front of his eyes. Roy knew that was a little too much of a display to mean that Ed wasn't at least a little bit scared.

Winry came in, the small group of subordinates and Al at her side. Roy raised his eyebrows. Apparently everyone was worried about how Ed would turn out with this new automail surgery.

"Right, Ed," she said, standing next to him. "I'll take care of your leg, somebody else will have to take care of your arm…Alphonse?" she offered, looking at the suit of armor. Alphonse stepped back and shook his head nervously.

"I can't do it. My hands are too big, I might hurt him," said Alphonse, looking around the room as if he expected another volunteer to come shooting out of the blue. Luckily, one did.

"I'll do it," said Roy, moving forward and taking the arm from Winry.

"Thanks," said Winry gratefully. "If we do just one at a time, it would be way out of sync when it comes time for his rehabilitation. So we should do more than one at a time, for now." Roy nodded and put his arm around Ed's chest, poising the automail limb above the socket.

"Ready?" asked Winry. "One…two…three…"

Roy quickly jammed the limb into its socket, expecting the worse. Ed bit his lip and made whimpering, gasping noises that sounded a little dangerous. The whole room seemed to hold its breath for the next few seconds, before Winry took charge again.

"Right! Roy, can you lift him and put him on the bed? He needs to rest now," she said loudly, as if the sound of her voice would drive some sense into the situation. Luckily it did, for the chaos level seemed to tone down a little.

Roy lifted Ed off the chair. Ed's form was heavy, but only from the automail…he could tell. The rest of it was too light in proportion to his mechanic limbs. He gently laid Ed on the cot by the wall, and pulled the covers up to his shoulder.

Ed whimpered again, but this time it was softer. He looked in extreme pain then and there, and Roy felt a burst of sympathy for the boy. However, Roy knew, somewhere deep down inside of him, that Ed would recover from this safely. After all, he had always done so in the past, and this time was no different.

---

Roy snuck quietly into the room. It was dark outside, hours later after they had reattached the automail. The room was almost pitch-black, if not for the small candle Roy had in his hand. He could barely make out the corners of the room, giving him the impression that he was in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, the bed in the corner caught his eye.

He walked quietly over, and saw Ed had his eyes closed, but he wasn't sleeping. There was just something about the way Ed slept that gave you the true impression he wasn't faking. It was the ultimate sense of peace that radiated off him. It was the only time the feeling was like that when you were with him. But now, he seemed awake, but drowsy.

"Ed?" Roy asked. "Are you awake?" He put his hand on the boy's forehead. It was a little sweaty from the past, but it wasn't hot like it was before. It felt normal, if not a little clammy.

Ed opened one eye and looked at Roy sitting above him. He snuggled a little deeper into the pillow and nodded, looking exhausted.

"You look tired. Can't you sleep?" Roy asked kindly, pushing a few blonde bangs off the teen's forehead. Ed shook his head again, peering up at him through the covers. Roy chuckled.

"You're quiet tonight." He was suddenly serious. "Is something wrong, Ed? You look a little upset," he observed, looking at Ed's eyes. They were a little hopeless looking, glazed by exhaustion. Roy had thought it was from the surgery, but apparently he was wrong. Usually Ed bounced back by now from his automail.

"I need some sleep," said Ed tiredly. "But I don't want to." He shifted on to his side. Roy put a hand on his flesh shoulder.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Ed? Come on, you can tell me." Roy set the candle on a bedside table. Ed sighed, and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position.

"I haven't even told Al, because he wouldn't understand," said Ed, hugging himself on the bed. "But…I've been having these nightmares ever since I've gotten my memory of the human transmutation back."

"Well, that's understandable. It must have been terrifying," Roy said fairly. Ed sighed and collapsed back into the covers.

"I wish I could just stop the nightmares…" he moaned, staring at the black ceiling. Roy had a sudden idea. Gently, he took the boy's flesh hand in both of his, warming the cold skin.

"What the hell?" asked Ed, a little reminiscent of his old self. Roy grinned at that.

"When I was young, my parents said that holding someone's hand would help them fall asleep peacefully," said Roy. Ed looked at him like he was crazy, but he finally began to process, for he laid back into bed without a word and in seconds, fallen into a peaceful sleep.

---

Wow…this was more OOC than I intended, but oh well. Ha. Well, review this chapter, and you get a bag of mini oreos/starlight mints/candy/giant hershey's bar/hug! The bribes are good when you're stealing candy! Just kidding…mostly.


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks to all reviewers of chapter 8! I know it was somewhat OOC, but whatever. Ed has to be OOC when he loses his memory, or else that dissolves the point. Well…as you may or may not know, **I will not be able to update tomorrow or the next day because of a band tryout! **Sorry! The actual tryout is on Tuesday, so I can write on Wednesday…seeing as if I make it and don't die…well, this chapter was completely random, but you know. I hope you like!

---

Ed was already recovering from his automail, and according to Winry, he would be just fine.

The day that Winry left, Ed was able to walk normally. His fever had long departed, so he was energetic as ever. He even sparred with Al a few times. Winry would sigh and watch them from the inside window.

"They're going to break Ed's new automail. It's just like old times," she told Riza that day.

Winry had to leave shortly after her visit, because she had customers coming in, more than Pinako could handle by herself. She felt bad for leaving Ed all alone, but she knew that Al would take good care of him. She was quietly packing that day, hoping not to attract any attention, when Ed peered in the doorway, looking curious then disheartened in a matter of seconds.

"Are you leaving?" he asked sadly, stepping in and awkwardly lowering his head. He liked Winry. Sure, she was scary when she got mad, but there was something comforting and familiar about her. Ed needed all the familiarity he could get these days.

Winry smiled sadly at him and nodded. "I have to get back to Risembool and take care of some customers. Do you remember what it was like there?" she asked Ed, who shook his head. "Well, it was always quiet, but because the quality of our automail is spreading, people are coming in from all over." She grinned. "That's a good thing, though."

"Yeah," said Ed, a little wearily. Winry's smile faded as she saw this. She slowly closed the brown-leather suitcase with a snap, and flung it so it hung over her shoulder. She was on her way out, when she stopped suddenly at the doorway and turned around.

"Hey, Ed," she said, her lip trembling slightly. "If you ever have any problems with your automail, you can just call me. I'll take a train here as soon as I can."

Ed got the hint and smiled and nodded. "Okay. Thanks," he said. "I'll remember that." Winry smiled a rather watery smile and, with a small nod, turned around and continued out the door, and out of the dorms.

Ed flopped down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. There went another bit of his past. It had just walked out his door. He closed his automail fingers into a fist. It made a small clicking noise as it did so, which, for some reason, irritated him. He wanted a real, human arm, not a cold, mechanical one that he had to tune up every so often.

Then he thought of Al and was instantly guilty. Because of him, his brother was trapped in a larger, unfeeling body. Ed might be upset about just an arm and a leg that were mechanic, but Al couldn't eat, or sleep, or feel. The thought just made Ed feel worse. It was like a burden across his shoulders, and a heavy weight in his stomach. He just couldn't get rid of it.

Ed abandoned the room and closed the door quietly, then headed into the Central Library. It was fairly empty today. Rain was pattering on the roof, making it a comfortable atmosphere.

Ed slowly made his way down the aisles of alchemy books which he spent most of his time in. He let his left hand's fingers brush the spines gently, removing a thin film of dust off of each. He sauntered down, taking his time to read the titles of each of them.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but for some reason he was drawn to this place. Sometimes he hoped for answers, like why he could simply transmute without a circle and Al couldn't. Then again, that was another thing Al couldn't do.

Shame welled up inside of Ed again, and he picked up a rather complex looking book that he hadn't even bothered in reading again, and hastily cracked it open. His eyes skimmed over the faded words, but there was no meaning behind him. He just couldn't concentrate.

---

Roy entered the library, pushing open the double doors, to see Ed, gazing dreamily at a book, but it didn't look like he was reading it. Roy was slightly confused about this. He moved closer, and realized there was guilt in his eyes. He felt a little worried about Ed, so he quietly crept over and sat on the couch by him. Ed sighed.

"Why does Al have to be trapped in the unfeeling body because of my mistake?" he asked, looking up at Roy with a depression shadowed in his eyes. Roy looked into the soulful golden orbs that stared at him, longing for an answer. He sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know, Ed. That's how cruel Equivalent Exchange is," said Roy quietly, leaning back in the couch. Ed looked hopeless for a half a second, before banging his fist on the table. It resulted in a loud bang that resounded across the library.

"What are you doing?" asked Roy, looking perplexed. Ed took a deep, shaky breath in.

"Equivalent Exchange…damn it all…" Ed muttered. "According to those alchemy books, it's the way of the world that when we lose something, we gain something in return…"

Roy could hardly tell where this was going, so he remained silent and listened to Ed instead of commenting.

"But look at all of what Al and I lost…my limbs…his body…_what have we gained in return?_" Ed demanded, burying his head in his hands. Roy was confused at the sudden behavior. Ed had been perfectly fine during breakfast that day, so why was he depressed now? Then Roy thought of Winry leaving…that might not have helped Ed's mood much.

Roy reached his hands out and pulled Ed's shoulders so Ed was facing him. Ed looked up, his eyes clouded with misery.

"Listen, Ed," said Roy. "Some really smart person once told me that people who lose will eventually gain, but sometimes not in the way that they expect. Right?" he said, giving the sallow shoulders a small shake. Ed nodded.

"You've lost too much, kid. You can't go giving up all your hopes now," said Roy, releasing Ed's shoulders. Ed burrowed himself under the couch cushion, keeping his back to Roy, as if afraid to understand the huge truth that had been set in front of him.

Roy sighed again, and rose, getting ready to exit the library. He snuck one last glance at Ed. The kid never looked more miserable, sprawled on the couch, his eyes dull and dead.

Roy froze at the door and had a sudden idea. What if he told Ed the real truth, according to Al? The truth about the Philosopher's Stone? Ed didn't need to know about the sacrifice of human lives in order to complete the stone…

Roy walked back to Ed and sat on the couch, before again putting a hand on Ed's shoulder. Ed turned around to face him, looking extremely disinterested.

"Edward," said Roy slowly. "If I told you a theory about human transmutation that may help Alphonse regain his body, would you be interested?" It was a stupid question, but it caught Ed's attention. He turned to face Roy.

"Listen…have you heard of the Philosopher's Stone?" asked Roy, squeezing Ed's shoulder tightly. Ed looked away for a second before answering.

"I saw it in an alchemy book…the city that vanished in a single night…people who get close die…" Ed hugged himself. Roy placed a hand on Ed's head to silence him.

"Yes. But those are just myths, Ed. There is said to be research on the Philosopher's Stone that confirms that it could try to be created, using some sort of energy," said Roy, brushing the long blonde bangs back. Ed looked a little hopeful.

"Is there…is there any way I can get a hold of this research?" asked Ed, almost afraid to hope.

"Yes. Just ask Alphonse," said Roy. He saw Ed's eyes widen at the thought of his own brother being a source of information. Roy decided to let it go there, for he patted Ed's head again one last time before exiting the room.

Even as he walked confidently to his dorm, he had his doubts about his approach. Had he really made the right choice by not telling Ed about the human lives needed?

---

Oh, you better have, Roy. You. Better. Have. Well, this chapter wasn't as useless as I thought! Hooray! I'm sorry you'll have to wait two days for the next chapter. I'll make it great, though! Ha! Well, review, and you get cake/cookies/diet Coke/hug! Sorry, I'm out of candy.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks to all reviewers of chapter 9, and thanks for waiting! Yeah, so I made it, so I'm not dead! Whew! Which was weird, because I sucked with a burning passion…hmmm…oh well, I'll take it! This chapter has some action…let me know if it's too rushed, though! I don't like to rush things…that much…I'll shut up and on with the story!

---

Alphonse sat absently in his room, staring at the blank wall in front of him and thinking about all the memories Ed had lost.

Maybe it was better if Al didn't tell him anything bad that had happened in his life. Especially the part about the Philosopher's Stone needing human sacrifices. Ed already had hope in him, and the last thing Al wanted to do was crush it into the ground.

A small noise jerked Al's thoughts to the present. It was like a bump, coming from the window. Al decided to brush it off, when he swore he heard again…only louder. Al slowly rose from the small bunk bed and looked out the window. All he saw was darkness and small droplets of rain falling from the sky, catching the light of windows nearby.

Al brushed it off yet again and walked back to the bed, sitting back on it in the same straight, stiff looking posture. That's when he heard it again, only it continued, increasing volume with each time and sounding like a crack.

Crack…crack…crack…BANG!

Dust flew wildly around the room as one of the walls seemed to completely come off all by itself. Al felt panic rise inside him as he jumped off the bed and stepped off to the side of the room that hadn't been annihilated.

A figure emerged through the dust. It walked slowly, as if it had all the time in the world. Al could barely make it up through the clearing dust that swirled around in the breeze coming from the outside, but as the figure loomed nearer and nearer, he began to get a glance.

It had a small frame, looking skinny and girly. He could just use his eyes to trace up her thin waist, to her long hair that reached down to her mid-back. Al squinted, to see if he could get a closer look. Why would a girl come to him after single-handedly busting down his wall?

Then, Al managed to see the first thing through the clearing dust. A pair of violent, angry purple eyes that seemed to take his breath away with just one look. It took him a second to register what exactly was standing in front of him at this moment.

A homonculous. The homonculous called Lust.

She walked forward, wearing the usual black dress that clung tightly to her slight figure, and the tattoo of ouroborous was clearly outlined on her chest. Al felt himself freeze, even though she was still sauntering towards him, her fingers still outstretched from when she had pulled his wall away using the daggers at the end of them.

Finally, she stopped at what seemed like inches in front of Al, and grinned a wicked but beautiful grin.

"It's been a while, Alphonse Elric," she said in a seductive voice. Al backed away a few steps, but was too shocked to even move. He knew her fingers could pierce through metal…if she were to pierce him where his blood seal was, it was all over.

"W-w…what do you want?" asked Al in a voice that sounded wild with panic. Lust simply smiled and placed a hand on her hip.

"I came here for the Fullmetal Alchemist, or more specifically, to give him back his memories so he can make us our Philosopher's Stone," she said cleanly. Al stepped back even more, but his mind told him not to retreat.

"You're…you're just using him…" Al breathed, his back now touching the wall. Lust smiled again, wider.

"Now you're catching on. So tell me, Alphonse…are you going to tell him everything you two knew about the Philosopher's Stone?" she asked, tilting her head in a curious way as if mocking him.

"No!" answered Al immediately and angrily. "I'm not telling him about the human sacrifices, and I'm _not _letting you use him! We'll just have to find another way to get our bodies back," he snapped.

Lust's smile faded and was replaced by a pouty look. "Well, we may have to do this the hard way," she said a little sadly. Before Al knew what had happened, she pierced him with her dagger-like fingers, just missing his blood seal by inches.

"You'll be coming with me," she said, not removing them. Al had almost no control. If he moved, she could easily slide the dagger into his seal, and his soul would disappear completely.

"What are you going to do to him?! And me?! What are you doing?" he asked. Lust didn't answer. Instead, she brought the other hand up and stabbed him squarely in the head, removing it.

"You'll find out soon enough," she said, smiling in an almost serene way as she dragged Al into the raining night.

---

"Hey, Al!" called Ed, racing through the corridors with a light feeling in his chest. "Al!"

Roy had told Ed that the Philosopher's Stone could be real…and could be made, and Al, his own brother, knew how to make one! He didn't know what they were waiting for. Ed rushed around the whole dorm, looking around for Al.

"Hey! Al, where are you?" he asked, beginning to feel a little perplexed. How could he lose a seven-foot tall suit of armor? They weren't usually hard to find…

Ignoring manners, Ed threw open the door to his and Al's room. Surely Al would be in here if Ed checked everywhere else…

He was horrified by what he saw.

The whole wall was destroyed, making cold rain accumulate in the bed. Ed bent his knees and felt something sharp on his calf. He looked down. There were little shards of pointed metal all over the floor. They looked exactly like…oh, hell no.

The looked exactly like the metal Al wore in his armor.

Ed felt panic rise in him, threatening to break loose. He somehow knew that if Al's blood seal broke, he would die…

No! Al couldn't be dead! Ed didn't know for sure, but Al claimed to be his brother, and he and Ed worked together to bring back Trisha Elric. Ed was sure that nobody would get in a stunt _that _dangerous unless they really were blood-related.

He was an alchemist. Alchemists were scientists. Scientists claimed that theories had to have enough supporting evidence to be true. Ed knew that there was enough evidence here, and besides…big brothers didn't let their little brothers be taken away.

Immediately, Ed flung open the door, running as fast as he could, beginning to feel a little hysteric. Was everyone hiding? All of the possibilities of what could have happened to Al seemed to pile up in his head, making him scared out of his mind.

It was a little while before Ed bumped into someone. He grabbed their shirtfront and looked them in the eyes. It was Roy…thank goodness! Someone who would understand!

"You have to help me!" Ed yelled, tears gathering at the edges of his eyes. "Al…someone has Al…" He gasped for breath, pressing his forehead against Roy's chest. "Help! Someone please help me find him!" he said in what sounded like a sob.

Ed felt Roy put his arms around Ed and firmly pat his back. "Whoa, calm down, Edward," he said in a slow, calming voice. "I didn't understand. Say it again," he stated.

Ed gasped again. "Someone…kidnapped Al…they pierced through his armor…"

Roy thought logically for a second as he continued to pat Ed's shoulder. Who would have a weapon sharp enough to stab a suit of armor?

Then it all fit…the homonculi had been hunting Ed and Al, and one of them had fingers like daggers that could pierce through metal. God knew what that homonculous could do to Al if it could kill him…

Roy took Ed's shoulders and pushed him into a nearby chair, squeezing them firmly. "Ed, stay here," he commanded firmly. "We're going to look for Al's kidnapper, but they happen to want to hunt you down, also. You'll only put yourself and Al in more danger. Stay put for a while."

Ed seized Roy's wrist. "But if I'm not seen, maybe I can do something to help…"

"No," said Roy firmly. He squeezed Ed's shoulder one last time before leaving. "Please, Ed. Think about Al." And with that, Roy had already disappeared into the hallway.

Ed tried to take Roy's advice, but for some reason his mind was screaming at him to go help Alphonse. They were brothers…they shared a bond that was unbreakable. It was almost as if Al was somehow, telepathically, communicating to him for help.

That did it. Ed got up from the chair and began to run out the door.

---

Naughty, naughty Ed! You should learn how to respect your superiors! Ha, well, that chapter is over. Two more to go until this fic is complete! Pretty awesome stuff, eh? Well, maybe. So, review, and you get root beer/more candy/cookies/donuts/hugs! Bribes rock!


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks you to all reviewers of chapter 10! Yes, this story is going to be over soon, unfortunately. I had a ton of fun writing it, and I hope you had fun reading it! Well, this chapter had a lot of action, and I was kind of IM'ing peeps at the same time I was typing, so…yeah. Let me know if it sucks. I don't think so, though. Yep, well enough of my incessant blabbering and onto the show!

---

Roy found himself frantically running through the corridors, worrying for Alphonse Elric's life.

With each thought of the homunculous about to pierce Al's blood seal, Roy's feet seemed to propel himself forward even more. He quickly veered around the corner and nearly collided with Riza, who was holding another big stack of paper work.

"Colonel! Why do you feel the need to run around the halls like this?" she demanded, a hand on the pistol she held in her belt.

"It's Alphonse! His room was completely torn apart, Lieutenant, and he's gone. I think he was taken by a homunculous that has the fingers that could pierce through metal…he's really in danger!" Roy managed to get out in one breath.

Riza looked at him, her amber eyes becoming bigger by the second. "They have Alphonse?!"

Roy nodded. "Please, send a search party out immediately! Poor Ed…he was hysterical when he found out…"

Riza saluted crisply, the heels of her black boots snapping together, and then quickly bolted to another room to gather a search party. Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to get Ed and himself out on a search, also. He could use his flame alchemy to the best of their advantage, and Ed, always pouring over alchemy books, could be of some use.

Roy walked back to where he had set Ed minutes before, trying to calm himself with thinking of the positives of the situation. However, there weren't many, so it just made him more anxious. He turned to confront Ed, when…

Oh, hell. _Ed was gone. _

It took him a second to realize the absence of the small, golden-haired boy, but when he did realize it his adrenaline seemed to rush. Of course Ed wasn't going to just sit there…what was he thinking, leaving Ed there by himself?

Without a second thought, Roy sprinted out the nearest exit, determined to find Ed. It was almost like a niche in his system, a feeling of wanting to protect him at all costs, no matter what the risk.

Roy quickly reached into the pocket of his navy blue uniform, pulling out the spark gloves he had always carried into battle with him.

He wanted to get Ed out alive…who knew what the homunculi could be doing to him?

---

Ed panted, tripping over his own feet in a vain effort to finding his brother. "AL!" he called into the dark, rainy night. "AL! COME OUT!" He stopped, grabbing at his chest and gasping for breath.

"ALPHONSE!" he screamed, hoping it would evoke some sort of reaction from the lifeless, still night.

Just then, a noise caught his attention. It was coming from a dark alley. Ed ignored his instincts completely, and quietly crept into the darkness. He didn't whether or not to hope that someone was there.

A voice startled him from his thoughts. It was a familiar voice that seemed to comfort him, even through the pitch darkness. It started low and almost calm, serene…"Brother…"

Then it went hysterical, shrieking as if its life depended on it. "BROTHER! ED! RUN, GET OUT, SHE'S HERE, SHE'S…!!!" Ed whipped around.

"Al! Thank goodness! Who, Al, what's going on?" he asked, the happiness and relief flooding his voice. "Al?" it started to panic as there was no answer from the stillness. "AL!"

"Oh, don't worry, Fullmetal," said a smooth, seductive voice that came from his back. He whipped around, only to be met with darkness. "He's just not answering because he knows what we're about to do here."

"Who…who…who are you?" Ed questioned in a way that would be brave, if his voice wasn't so panicky.

There was a small chuckle from the darkness. The voice was definitely female, and seemed to radiate some sort of mysterious aura.

Ed could feel his chest heaving, his heart thumping so loud that he was sure that everyone there could hear it. A rustle of movement interrupted the deafening silence, and he squinted through the blanket of darkness.

There was a small prick of light, and Ed realized that whoever was there must have brought a candle. The light, small as it was, seemed to blind Ed. He widened his eyes, and saw a beautiful and terrifying face of a woman in front of him.

"Hello, Fullmetal," she said again, calling him by his old state issued name. Her skin was a pale, silky white that seemed to glow in the dark. Her hair was dark and fell down to her back, waving as it went. But what captivated Ed were the eyes…the piercing violet eyes seemed to show evil and hatred to him, even though he had no idea who this woman was. Her eyes clashed fantastically with the sweet smile she had on her face.

"I don't think you remember me, but we met once in a while back before," she said. The candle fell to her chest, showing a bright red tattoo on her chest. IT was of a serpent, devouring its own tail. It was…

Oroborous.

Ed felt his vision tunnel as all of the sudden several flashes went through his head…flashes of humans being transmuted and strange, inhuman powers, one could shape-shift, one could form a shield…teeth that could eat through metal…dagger fingers that appeared in less than a second…one had the face of his own mother…

Ed screamed at the terror, and all of the sudden a familiar voice yelled through the fog. "Don't touch him!"

Then, a strong pair of arms wrapped around his slender frame. Ed gasped through the darkness, looking up, then saw the face of Roy Mustang's in front of his. Roy was supporting Ed with one arm and using his fingers on the other to make small sparks, occasionally rubbing them together to keep some light in the corner.

"Ed, are you all right?" he asked gently. Ed nodded, and then turned to the frightening woman.

"You're a homunculous. You were created as a failed result for a human transmutation. Your kind has superhuman powers, and you were looking for me. And…you're the homunculous called Lust...am I right?" questioned Ed.

Lust smiled serenely and nodded. "Very good. It looks like that portion of your memory has been restored. Now tell me, Ed, what do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

"NO! Don't listen, Ed!" screamed Al furiously. Ed leaned forward, looking at his brother, and placed a hand on one of the large, spiked shoulders.

"Don't worry, Al. Nothing can be as bad as the transmutation, right?" asked Ed confidently. He was interrupted when there was a horrible burning, snapping sound from the corner. Ed whipped around.

Roy was shooting large sparks out of his fingers, sending them all at Lust. She dodged swiftly, smiling still even as Roy released the powerful flames.

"Well, Edward, I'll tell you a little about it," she said calmly, smiling in his direction despite the surroundings. Roy snapped…a large flame erupted from his fingers, and got Lust directly in the middle. She knelt to the ground in pain, making horrible choking sounds as if she were dying, even though she would soon come back to life.

"Ed…Fullmetal Alchemist…" she gasped.

"NO! DON'T LISTEN, ED!!!" screamed Al as loud as he possibly could.

"Ed…the Philosopher's Stone…requires live human sacrifices in mass amounts!" she yelled, before keeling to the ground at Roy's feet.

Ed froze for a nanosecond, and all of the sudden he began to shake uncontrollably. It was like he was reliving something, for his eyes seemed to be a million miles away. But on top of the drifting, they also looked terrified as everything…scar, the city wiped out in a single night, lab five, Hughes and his death…seemed to come to him a second.

Roy barely managed to catch Ed in time as he fell to the ground, the shock overwhelming him. Roy held Ed close to him. The sound of Ed's heartbeat was a soothing proof that he was alive and safe, even though his mind may not be yet. Roy just held on to him, trying to offer warmth and comfort.

Shouts began to resonate through the ally. Roy was sure the search party had come a little late, but he also knew that the Elric brothers were out of harm's way. And for now, that was the only thing that mattered.

---

Done! I think it might have been a little rushed, but I liked it. Ha! Well, review, and you get donuts/candy/tea/root beer/hugs! Gotta love the hugs! Yep!


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks to all who reviewed my last chapter! I enjoy writing Ed getting hurt somehow…morbid but true… Well, now I give you the long-awaited (?) chapter 12! I apologize, it's going to be pretty short…but I'll make it short and sweet. Because everybody loves sweetness, or at least almost everyone. Ha. Well, I also have some bad news, too. **I won't be able to write a long FMA fic for a while. **Sorry! I have a great idea for a new AU Zelda fic, which the AU thing is becoming pretty popular there. Oh, but don't think it doesn't mean that means I won't write FMA oneshots during the next month or so. In fact, I'll take requests from anyone, because I'll run out of juice if nobody gives me a prompt! Yep. Wow, this note is like really long! Maybe I should shut up and get on to the story then…hmmm…yeah, okay, let's go with that! Enjoy!

---

Roy knew he had to trust his instincts, but this one got him in a lot of trouble.

He knew by the way the stubborn kid was sitting on the hospital bed, his arms crossed, and his golden eyes staring pointedly downward at the clean white floor tiles. Roy sighed and pulled a chair up next to the bed.

"Listen, Ed, I understand how you must be feeling…" he began awkwardly.

"Bastard. You treat me like a child," Ed hissed. "You think you could've told me all these things, but no. You're afraid I'll have nightmares." He lowered his head. Sure, he seemed angry, but he also seemed a little stressed out and sad, too.

When Al had stopped by, doctors and nurses discovered that Ed had recovered most of his memory from just that one sentence. It was becoming more and more advised that Roy or someone responsible for Ed should have told him that live human sacrifices were used, instead of a vicious homunculous that was trying to kill his brother.

Apparently just a few words could trigger Ed's whole memory of journeying around, looking for a lead on the Philosopher's Stone. Of course, there had been plenty of pain in it, for something as small as partings with individuals, or big as finding the city of Liore, which Ed thought he had left in peace, in a total uproar, people dying constantly from the new civil war that he had apparently caused.

"Well, no, Ed, it's not just the nightmares," said Roy, feeling guiltier by the second. "It's just…"

"No, I think it was my reaction that stopped you! You were afraid one of your dogs would be too unstable to fight. You just kept me alive for your sake," said Ed furiously, practically foaming at the mouth at the very thought.

Roy was horrified that Ed could think such things. "Edward…" he began, trying as best as he could to explain to the impossible child in front of him.

"No, thank you, Mustang. I don't need an in-depth explanation. I think this one had fit just enough," said Ed, and he seemed rather dejected now, almost as if he had failed Roy somehow. He lowered his head so his long, blonde bangs could cover his expansive eyes.

"Now wait just a second, Edward!" Roy started, beginning to get a little frustrated himself. "For your information, Ed, why do you think I sent you out in the first place?!"

Ed froze, as if Roy had gotten a lead. "Right," said Roy. "So _you_ could get a lead to get _your_ bodies back. Not for any of my benefit. And we sent a search party out, making sure you were okay even though you weren't on duty. And, we moved into the dorms near the Central Library, just so you could regain your memories slowly. As you might have figured out, having a vicious homunculous come and force the memories back in wasn't really our original plan!" he snapped to finish.

Ed sighed, his eyes even more depressed now. Roy sighed again, thinking he might have gone overboard. He placed a hand on the golden head and ruffled the hair gently.

"Look, Ed, all I'm trying to say is that we care about you," said Roy in a softer tone. "We just wanted what was best for you. So don't freak out on us, okay?" He got up and began to leave, but a super-quick hand grabbed his arm all the sudden. Roy turned, confused. "Ed?" he asked.

Before he could say anything else, Ed leapt from the bed and practically jumped on Roy, making stumble a few steps backward. Ed's shoulders began shaking, and Roy was surprised. What was going on?

"Edward," he murmured, stroking the blonde ponytail.

"I'm sorry, okay!" Ed said loudly, before burying his face in Roy's shoulder. "I'm sorry! I didn't want it to come out this way…"

Roy relaxed and put his arms around the boy, pulling him even closer. "No, Ed, that was a little harsh. Just don't get yourself hurt again," he said kindly.

Ed nodded, finally letting his tears break free. Roy gently placed an arm under the boy's knees, and lifted him lifted him on to the bed, letting him sleep peacefully for the first time in a long time.

---

Oh, that was a really crappy way to end a story, but that was about the only thing I could do to make it not seem rushed. I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading this fic and reviewing! Remember, if you ever get bored, just leave a request for me and I'll try and write it in my spare time!


	13. Chapter 13: Author's Note

Lyk OMG, another chappie for LC! Ha! I'm kidding. No, I'm really sorry. I pretty much ended it with chapter twelve. Whoopsie!

This is just an author's note, semi-important. Let's get this straight…I desperately need a beta-reader! I'm entering an fmaexchange contest at Livejournal, so I need one. Very. Badly. Mm-hm!

The story I need a beta for isn't even finished yet, but it will be soon. If anyone is interested, PM me please! Thanks for letting me waste your time! G'night!


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